Ripple Island (リップルアイランド) is an adventure game developed and published by Sunsoft. The game was only released in Japan on January 23, 1988 for the Family Computer.

History

Unlike other 1980s Sunsoft games like Ikki or Atlantis no Nazo, Ripple Island is a peaceful command-based adventure game where the player chooses from 5 different actions (look, take, enter, hit, and push) in order to arrive at the game's ending. The game was re-released for the PlayStation in 2002 as part of the Memorial Series Sunsoft Vol. 4 compilation, where it was coupled with Blaster Master. An i-appli mobile phone version which features improved graphics was also released in 2003. A manga version by one of the game's character designers, Moriken, was serialized in Wanpaku Comics (Tokuma Shoten). The character's appearances differ greatly in the manga version, and only lasted 4 chapters without reaching the conclusion of the game's story-line. 2 more chapters were added in the tankōbon release, which do describe the game's true conclusion. Both the original Famicom cartridge and manga tankōbon are rare, and can only be purchased for higher prices than their original value. The game was originally planned for the Family Computer Disk System with the title The Darkness of the Emperor (皇帝の闇). The game enjoyed limited popularity as it was released only 18 days before the release of the highly anticipated Dragon Quest III. Though the game appears easy because of its childish graphics, a few hints are provided for solving certain mysteries, making the game's difficulty quite high. There are four different endings to the game, one of which can be seen even before the player defeats the final boss. The remaining three are decided depending on the player's actions and choices throughout the game. The staff roll is only displayed if the player reaches the game's "true" ending.

Plot

The game takes place on a small island called Ripple Island, where humans and animals lived together in peace, but one day, the evil emperor Gerogeru (ゲロゲール) suddenly appears on the island and kidnaps the king's daughter. The king promises that he will allow whoever can rescue his daughter to marry her, and a young boy named Kyle (カイル) sets off on a long journey to rescue the princess.

Characters

All of the characters in the game are small humans that are about the same size as woodland creatures. They can communicate with animals in a common language.

Areas

Areas are marked by the player's progress. Fulfilling a set of objectives allows the player to proceed to the next area, and the player may not return to the previous area later in the game, but the player may be automatically taken to the next area depending on the player's actions.